CNY 2014: be a part of Sydney’s mane event

The City of Sydney is asking cultural organisations and community groups to take part in next year’s Chinese New Year Festival, which will ring in the Year of the Horse.

Preparations are well underway for the 2014 celebrations, running from 24 January to 9 February.

People can perform in the world-famous Twilight Parade, host a stall at the festival markets or enter a team in the spectacular dragon boat races.

“Over the last 17 years, our celebrations have grown from a small community festival in Chinatown to an international spectacular that rivals those in Hong Kong and Shanghai,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“As we get ready to welcome the Year of the Horse, we’re inviting Sydneysiders to get involved in the celebrations.”

Each year, Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival features more than 80 family-friendly events, including film screenings, art exhibitions, temple tours, opera performances and traditional banquets.

More than 400,000 Sydneysiders and visitors participate in the festival every year, including a 100,000-strong audience at the annual Twilight Parade.

Applications are now open for:

Performers and volunteers to take part in the Twilight Parade, which runs from Sydney Town Hall to Chinatown on 2 February;

Stallholders for the bustling Chinese New Year Markets at Belmore Park from 24-26 January;

Teams to battle it out in the southern hemisphere’s largest dragon boat races on 8-9 February; and

Cultural organisations and community groups to hold an exhibition, workshop, tour, performance or other associated event during the festival.

The full festival program – including the 2014 charity partner and Chinese partner city – will be announced later this year.